Caravan or Motorhome – Which One is right for you?
When you are looking for to rent or buy an RV, the first decision you’ll make is also the biggest: whether to choose a caravan or motorhome?. To help you make the right choice for the kind of holiday you’re planning, we’ve put together this guide to look at the pros and cons of each RV type!
What's the difference between a Caravan and a Motorhome?
• A Caravan is a trailer. There's no motor. So you need another vehicle to pull it with.
• A motorhome is a caravan with its own motor. It's a vehicle.
With a caravan, when you reach your campsite, you can unhitch your caravan from the vehicle, and take your car to drive around in.
With a motorhome, everything is contained in one vehicle, meaning that you can easily move from place to place while taking everything with you – this can be especially useful if you are doing a long trip and staying in a lot of different places.
Ok, let's start with the pros and cons of caravans and motorhomes, here we go!
CARAVANS
Pros
• You Don't Have To Take It Everywhere
With a trailer, you get to camp, disconnect, set everything up, and you're done until you move again. Obviously you have a vehicle you pulled it there with, so that's how you get around.
• They Come In Small Sizes
Trailers can be super short. Only long enough for you to sleep in (a teardrop RV is a good example). Not so with a motorhome. They don't come in very short versions. The shortest you'll find is a campervan.
• Caravans are very reasonably priced
They cost much less than motorhomes as they are not a driving vehicle
• More Useable Interior Space
Caravans are very spacious as they do not have the driving area at the front. all in a caravan is useable space.
• There’s less maintenance
Caravans don’t have an engine so there’s not engine failures
Cons
• Caravans have to be towed which can be tricky and make the travelling experience less enjoyable.
• If you have a small or medium sized vehicule, you may have to consider changing your vehicle to be able to tow the caravan you want if it is over a certain weight.
• Caravans can take a while to pitch as they will need to be levelled and awnings may need to be set up which can take some time.
• Due to their lightweight design, the amount of weight that you can take with you has a limit - so make sure you check what this is before planning your trip and ensure that you don’t exceed it.
• Caravans can be tricky to manoeuvre, particularly when parking!
MOTORHOMES
Pros
• Easy to move
It is quicker to move from place to place in a motorhome as there is no unhitching and levelling to do. So when you decide to go, you can do it.
• Storage space
A motorhome may offer more storage space, especially if you choose one that has ‘garage’ space.
• More Comfortable For Passengers
If you travel with your family or friends, they will be more comfortable in a motorhome during the trip. They can get up and move around, go to the bathroom, watch TV, play a game, whatever, while on the road.
• No Fear Of Towing
There are many people who fear towing. If they don't fear towing, they fear backing up a trailer. It's much more difficult to back a trailer than a motorhome.
• Self-Leveling
Some motorhomes have automatic levelers. Push a button or some buttons and boom, you're done! It's much easier than having to manually level a caravan.
CONS
• Your motorhome is also your vehicle so if you want to go anywhere, you have to take the whole things with you. This makes ‘setting up a camp’ a little harder
• If you have mechanical issues while you are away, your place to sleep is in risk if it needs to go into a garage to be repaired.
• Motorhomes cost much more than caravans because they are also a motor vehicle.
• Your motorhome will require more maintenance service than a caravan. These are also additional costs.
• Motorhomes can be less spacious inside than caravans of the same size because you lose some internal space to the driving area.
Is it easier to drive a car with a caravan or a motorhome?
A caravan combined with its tow vehicle is much longer than a motorhome which makes it more challenging to drive, and harder to manoeuvre when parking. Most modern motorhomes are driven like a car . They often have reversing cameras which makes it even easier to park the vehicle.
Conclusion
Caravans are a great option for people who want a comfortable and secure place to camp for a few days or even weeks. If you want to stay in one place for a longer period and have a base to explore the local area, then a caravan is perfect.
If you prefer touring and moving from place to place every day or two, a motorhome will be more convenient as it requires no setup time when you arrive at your campsite. A motorhome is easier to drive and If the weather is bad, you don’t need to get out of the motorhome
At the end of the day, both options are a great way to explore Saudi Arabia. There’s no better way to find out what suits your lifestyle than to take both a caravan and a motorhome away for a holiday.
So, what did you decide? caravan or motorhome?
Let us know, Comment below!
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